Training methods

[nepstein]

I do use food and have for over 30 years of training obedience. It is the best way I know to shape a behavior. Most all serious dog trainers I know always begin with food. Although I found the posts on training interesting I thought some videos of the results of using food in obedience with a Boerboel and a German Shepherd Dog puppy would be a bit more interesting. To that end please go to YouTube and in the search block put in normandavidepstein . This will take you to my training videos. Please note the joy in obedience of the dogs shown. Would like to hear your comments on same.

[nepstein]

As far as I know, I have taken a Boerboel further in a dog sport (schutzhund) than anyone else in the USA and I am here to tell you learning how to teach a dog obedience is not rocket science, any body can do it Obedience is just how best to communicate to your dog what you want. That said all dogs come with different drives and different degrees of particular drives. Think of it this way, each dog comes with a tool box (drives) some have a complete set some do not. It is up to us to determine which drives (tools) there is to work with. The second thing we have to accept is dogs are not brilliant in the way we think but they are in the ways necessary to endear themselves to us. Why? Because we have been selecting for that ability since we first started to domesticate dogs thousands of years ago and because of that they can read us better than any other animal can. For example dogs are the only animal that can be directed by our eyes. Try just looking at your leash without moving, just before you usually take your dog out and watch your dogs reaction. Chimps who are a hell of a lot smarter than dogs can not be directed by a humans eyes. Therefore in order for dogs to effectively learn they need to see our face. Dogs have difficulty seeing certain colors so having toys in those colors can be a hindrance if we are using them for a reward. Dogs schedules are instinctively set up to match ours, they know when we are coming home when we usually wake up, they can recognize our car engine over all others. Why? Because we are there world. They have the cognitive ability of a three year to five year old child but like us there are exception and of course we all own those exceptions(g). DOGS ARE NOT HUMAN AND DON’T RESPOND IN THE SAME WAY AS WE DO. The worst mistake that is made by us is trying to make a dog your child. Dogs are not satisfied being treated like a child, but unfortunately we selfishly may be, in fact it is confusing for them. When this happens they may act out just like a child would without explicit boundaries, by keep pushing until they hopefully force us to set up those boundaries and then we must be consistent in enforcing those boundaries. Then they all the sudden become sane because for them their world now make sense.

In order for a dog to learn we must communicate to them EXACTLY the moment they performed the behavior we wanted. A second to soon or late confuses the dog in knowing what you want from him. If you reward for this behavior consistently the dog will learn what it has to do to get the reward. This is how all service/assistance dogs are taught to turn on lights or pick up what we drop etc. etc.. They are all taught with food and then reinforced with praise. Most of us praise our dogs for everything they do, hence because of its overuse praise in and of itself does not have the same instructive power as food does. Why? Because it’s not, for the dog, that special. Much like a group of toys on the floor, put a new one down and all the dog can think about is that new toy. Food drive is a primitive one and because of that should be utilized when possible. Don’t think so give your dog a chicken wing or a piece of raw meat and then try to get it away from him. If your dog does not have sufficient food drive it is not hungry enough. Moreover the correct timing of the reward with food is far more efficient in shaping a behavior. Think of it this way we are trying to teach a behavior, every time we see the behavior we lavishly praise our dogs. What happens, the concentration of the dog is impeded and we then have to start over again in an effort to regain it. What if we just use praise and we are trying to get the dog to perform a behavior faster, what is left? Only praising more vociferously? Food in your hand can be, if used correctly, be like an invisible leash. Yes in the beginning you are bribing the dog but so what you are also teaching the dog. Hell you bribe your children don’t you. Later the food goes out of your hand and you then teach the dog the position gets it the reward. What is the result a dog that won’t leave you when there is no leash and a dog that works with joy and CONCENTRATION. Moreover if obedience is just taught with just praise there is usually a lot more handler help required because that part and parcel of the *body cues* the dog now recognizes as part of your communication. With food we can keep body posture out of the teaching equation and by keeping going we can cause the behavior to repeat itself many more times while all the time rewarding that behavior. This is teaching. Then praise and play with your dog and start again. So now the dog can have that behavior reinforced many more time than if you only used praise. Now you can get a dog to do anything by force but if you want the dog to do work out of joy, compulsion for teaching is not the way to go. The art of teaching obedience (timing for reward) should first be taught to the handler first and many times before the dogs is ever brought into the mix. The handler has to be taught not to be so ridged but have lose body posture and learn to smile while teaching because your dog is looking at your face and if he sees a frown all the “good dog* in the world will not supersede that expression, and no sunglasses, remember they are looking at your eyes and if they don’t see them there learning is hindered. Now obedience becomes a game with a few rules and is something the dog looks forward too. Think before you train, just what am I trying to teach today and don’t teach to much and if thing are not going as you planned stop and think how can I better communicate with my dog. It is not there fault because every wrong thing they do, was taught to them by you. Keep it fun and remember if it doesn’t make sense to you it won’t to your dog.

Regards Norman